Carton collapsing machine



F. C. GROSS ET AL CARTON COLLAPSING MACHINE March 29, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1954 INVENTORS 172mm 6. 600:: M0 M44 75/? Lac 2 5x 3 E Y ATTORfiYS March 29, 1955 F. c. GROSS ETAL CARTON COLLAPSING MACHINE T Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27, 1954 6 5 0% 5 I TMMWM ww 4/- 8 1 INVENTORS .EPAM'A 6.600s: xwo

ATTOR EYS March 29, 1955 F. C. GROSS ET AL CARTON COLLAPSING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS IkA/vx 6. 6/?05: mm

ATTO EYS March 29, 1955 c oss ET AL 2,704,966

CARTON COLLAPSING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS I 17mm 6. Geoss an Mu new Luczsx q, ATTORNEYS March 1955 F. c. GROSS ETAL CARTON COLLAPSING MACHINE 7 Shets-Sheet 5 Filed April 27, 1954 5 m A m R 6 C. W "M H a U L R m m W BY fiyh ATTORNEYS March 1955 F. c. GROSS ETAL CARTON COLLAPSING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed April 27, 1954 INVENTORS Jim/m 6.619041: mvo

z I ATTO NEYS Wunm Zuczzx BY v United States Patent CARTON COLLAPSING MACHINE Frank C. Gross, Wilbraham, and Walter Luczek, Indian Orchard, Mass., assignors to Package Machinery Company, East Longmeadow, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 27, 1954, Serial No. 425,992 8 Claims. (CI. 93-49) This invention relates to a machine for collapsing cartons of the type designed for carrying bottles and similar articles.

Cartons of the above type are in some instances constructed in set-up condition. For purposes of shipping such cartons to the user from the point of manufacture it is desirable to collapse them to a flat form and the cartons are so constructed as to make such collapse possible. The collapsing of the cartons by hand is a time and labor consuming operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine to which the cartons may be fed, directly from the forming machines or otherwise, which will fold the cartons to collapsed or flat form and deliver them from the machine in that condition.

Other and further objects and advantages residing in the details of construction of the machine will be made apparent in the disclosure of the accompanying drawings and in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a plan view of a machine illustratively embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view looking from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view substantially on line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view substantially on line 10-10 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a detail view of an element of the bottom folder;

Fig. 12 is a detail view on a larger scale of the discharge conveyor;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view substantially on line 13-13 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view substantially on line 14-14 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 but showing the parts in a different position; and

Fig. 16 is a detail sectional view substantially on line 16-16 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the frame of the machine, generally indicated at 1, supports a constantly driven infeed belt conveyor 2 which carries a succession of set-up cartons c into the machine and against a transverse guide plate 3. The leading carton is halted, by a plate 3, in line with a transverse pusher in the form of a rectangular frame 4 fixed to the upper end of a bracket. 5. Bracket 5 is slidably mounted on a rod 6, Figs. 1 and 4, and is reciprocated thereon by a link 7 which connects the bracket to the long arm of a lever 8 pivoted on a shaft 9. The short arm of lever 8 carries a cam roll 10 which is held against a cam 11, fixed on a constantly rotating shaft 12, by a spring 13.

The leading carton c is transferred from belt 2 onto a platform 14, the side of pusher frame 4 holding back the incoming line of cartons on returns to the position of Fig. 1.

It will be understtood that any suitable means can be employed to advance the cartons into position for trans fer by pusher 4. As shown the incoming cartons engage a trip 19 which releases any suitable means (not shown) for inhibiting actuation of pusher 4 in the absence of a properly positioned carton but alternatively an intermittently timed flight conveyor may be used to advance the cartons to pusher 4.

As shown in Figs. 5, 13, 14 and 15, the carton comes to rest on platform 14 between guide plate 3 and a plate 18, and beneath a plunger head 15, carried by a bracket 16 vertically slidable on posts 17.

As best shown in Figs. 13, 14 and 15 the cartons c of the type which it is the purpose of the machine of the present invention to collapse, comprise a bottom panel (1, side wall panels e hinged to the sides of the bottom panel, end wall panels 1 hinged to the ends of the side walls, and a vertical longitudinal partition member g connected at its ends to the end wall panels. In the form shown the carton also includes two transverse partition members h hinged at their ends to the side wall panels and engaging in slots formed in the longitudinal partition member. The members of the carton are foldable about the several hinge connections mentioned and the bottom panel is longitudinally creased as at i, and the end panels and transverse partitions vertically creased as at j along their lines of contact with the longitudinal partition, to facilitate collapsing of the carton as later described. I

In some cases the longitudinal and transverse partition members are formed with tongues k which, as the cartons come from the forming machine are bent inwardly of the cells formed by the partition members as indicated in dotted lines at /c in Fig. 14. When the cartons are provided with tongues k, as above described, it is desirable to secure them flatly against the partitions before the carton is collapsed. This is done by engaging the ends of the tongues in slits in formed in the partition walls by instrumentalities carried by the reciprocating head 15. These instrumentalities comprise a plurality of rods 20, one for each cell of the carton, secured at their upper ends to head 15. Fixed to the lower end of rods 20 are grooved collars 21. Slidably mounted on each rod 20 is a sleeve 22, the several sleeves being secured as by nuts 23 to a plate 24. Welded or otherwise secured to the lower end of each sleeve 22 is a bracket block 25, the blocks 25 being yieldingly held in engagement with the upper surface of the collars 21 by springs 26, compressed between the head 15 and the upper ends of sleeves 22.

Certain of the bracket blocks 25 are provided with one or more fingers 27 pivoted as at 28 to the bracket blocks and provided with lugs 29 which engage in the grooves of the adjacent collar 21. Also carried by certain of the bracket blocks 25 are abutment members 30 fixed to stems 31 adjustably clamped in the bracket blocks by screws 32. The fingers 27 and abutments 30 are distributed among the several bracket blocks so that as the head 15 is lowered, from its upper position shown in Fig. 5, to position the bracket blocks, one in each cell of the carton, as shown in Fig. 14, so that each partition tongue k extending into a cell is engaged by a finger 27 and laid flatly against the partition wall, and an abutment 30 engages the opposite side of the partition just below the slit m there As the head 15 reaches the position shown in Fig. 14 the plate 24 engages an adjustable stop 35 fixed to the machine frame. With the downward movement of the plate 24 and the parts carried thereby arrested by stop 35, head 15 moves downwardly a further distance as shown in Fig. 15, moving the rods 20 and collars 21 downwardly relatively to sleeves 22 and block brackets 25, against the action of springs 26. By this relative movement of rods 20 and collars 21 the fingers 27 are pivoted as shown in Fig. 15 to force the free ends of the downwardly folded tongues k, which slightly overlap slits m, through the latter to lock the tongues flatly against the partition wall. The specific distribution of the fingers 27 and abutments 30, as will be apparent from belt 2 until the pusher Fig. 13, will depend on the particular cells into which the tongues k are bent by the forming machine on which the cartons are made.

As best shown in Fig. the bracket 16 is reciprocated on the posts 17 by a cam 36 which is engaged by a cam roll 37 carried by a lever 38 pivoted at 39 and connected to bracket 16 by a link 40. A spring 41 maintains roll 37 in contact with cam 36.

As will be understood, if the cartons are not provided with tongues k, rods 20 and fingers 31, with the parts carried thereby may reciprocate idly into and from the carton cells or preferably bracket 16 and its associated parts may be omitted or rendered inoperative, the carton merely dwelling on platform 14.

As a succeeding carton is advanced from belt 2 by pusher 4 onto platform 14, the carton then on platform 14 is pushed from the latter by the incoming carton onto yielding supporting plates 45.

As best shown in Fig. 11 one of the plates 45 is pivoted to the edge of platform 14 and the other to the edge of a shelf 46 by respective hinge pins 47 fixed to the plates and provided with collars 48 which collars are respectively connected to platform 14 and shelf 46 by torsion springs 49 which yieldingly hold the plates 45 in carton supporting position.

As the cartons are advanced on to plates 45 the cartons pass beneath fingers 50 with the latter engaging, or in approximate engagement with, the upper edge of the longitudinal partition member g, and comes to rest with the partition member in substantial alignment with a collapsing blade 52. Referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 6. blade 52 is fixed to an arm 53 extendin from a hub 54 which is slidably mounted on a fixed rod 55, and provided with a forked guide member 56 which engages a guide bar 57 to prevent rotation of hub 54 on rod 55. Blade 52 is reci rocated by means of a cam 60, fixed on cam shaft 12 (Fig. 6). One arm 61 of a bell crank, pivoted on shaft 9, carries a cam roll 62 which is maintained in contact with cam 60 by a spring 63 acting on the other arm 64 of the bell crank. The free end of arm 64 is connected by a link 65 to one arm 66 of a second bell crank pivoted at 67 to the machine frame, the other arm 68 of this second bell crank being connected by a link 69 to hub 54.

As the carton rests on pivoted plates 45 and in line with collapsing blade 52, Fig. 1, the opposite end of the carton is positioned at the entrance between two vertical collapsing rolls 70. As best shown in Fig. 8 rolls 70 are carried at the ends of arms 71 extending from respecti e hubs 72 pivotally mounted on vertical stub shafts 73 which are secured by nuts 74 to a cross bar 75 of the machine frame 1. Hubs 72 are provided with short arms 76 connected together at their ends by a pivot pin 77. one of the arms 76 being .lotted as at 78. Pivot pin 77 is connected by a link 79, Figs. 8 and 3. to one end of a lever 80 pivoted to frame 1 to 81. the other end of lever 80 being provided with a cam roll 82 held a ainst a cam 83. fixed to a shaft 84. by a spring 85. Shaft 84 carries a bevel gear 86 meshing with a bevel gear 87 fixed to main cam shaft 12. Cam 83 operates to swing rolls 70 toward each other and against the sides of the carton as the blade 52 engages the end of the carton and advances it between the rolls 70.

As shown in Fig. 16 the combined effect of the blade 52 and rolls 70 is to colla se the side walls e of the carton toward each other. Since. as shown in Fig. 6. the upper edge of the longitudinal ortion 2 is held against upward movement by fingers 50, as the carton is advanced by blade 52 and the side walls are moved toward each other, the halves of the bottom panel d of the carton fold downwardly, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 6, plates 45 yielding for the purpose. Simultaneously the halves of the end walls 1 are folded upon each other, Fig. 16, and the folded ed e of the leading end wall engages between driven rolls 88 and 89 by which the collapse of the carton is completed and the carton delivered in fiat form in front of a pusher plate 90.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 9 and 10. roll 88 is fixed to a shaft 91 iournaled in bearings 92 carried by the machine frame and carrying at its lower end a bevel gear 93 meshing with a bevel gear 94 fixed on a shaft 95. Shaft 95 carries a second bevel gear 96 meshing with a bevel gear 97 fixed to shaft 12. The upper end of shaft 91 carries a gear 98 meshing with a gear 99 on shaft 100 of roll 89. Shaft 100 is journaled in bearings 101 carried by spaced arms 102 fixed on a pivot shaft 103 which is journaled in bearings 104 carried by the machine frame. The bearings 101 are connected by a tie bar 105 and are yieldingly mounted by means of bolts 106 extending through arms 102 and threaded into brackets 107 fixed to the machine frame, bolts 106 passing through coiled springs 108 compressed between the brackets 107 and arms 102 to press roll 89 toward roll 88. As will be understood the separation of rolls 88 and 89 as a collapsed carton is drawn between them is insufficient to unmesh the gears 98 and 99 so that both rolls 88 and 89 are constantly driven.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 7, pusher plate 90 is carried by a bracket 110 extending from a hub 111 slidably mounted on a rod 112 and provided with a sidewise extending guide fork 113 which engages a guide bar 114, the latter preventing rotation of bracket 110 on its supporting rod 112. Hub 111 is reciprocated by means of a cam 115 fixed on cam shaft 12 and engaged by a cam roll 116 carried at one end of a lever 117 fixed to a rock shaft 118. A spring 119 maintains cam roll 116 in operative engagement with cam 115. The upper incll of lever 117 is connected by a link 120 to the hub Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 the pusher plate 90 advances the collapsed cartons as they are received from rolls 88 and 89, onto supporting rails 121 and between discharge belts 124 and 125. Belt 124 is trained around pulleys 126 carried by vertical shafts 127, one of which is provided with a worm gear 128 meshing with a worm 129 fixed to a shaft 130. The shaft 130 carries a bevel gear 131 (Fig. 1) meshing with a bevel gear 132 fixed to one end of a cross shaft 133, the other end of which carries a bevel gear 134 meshing with a bevel gear 135 fixed to a shaft 136. Shaft 136 carries a sprocket 138 connected by a sprocket chain 139 to a sprocket 140 fixed to shaft 84 which is driven, as previously described, from the main cam shaft 12. The belt 125 is trained around pulleys 141 fixed to vertical shafts 142, one of which carries a worm gear 143 which meshes with a worm 144 carried by shaft 136 which is driven as above described. Discharge belts 124 and 125 (see Fig. 12), are formed of flexible short lengths 145 of leather or other suitable material secured together in overlapping relation by rivets 146. The leading edges of lengths 145 provide notches 147 in which the edges of the box or carton engage as the collapsed carton is delivered between the belts by the pusher plate 90. As above described all the operating instrumentalities are driven from the rotating shaft 12. Shaft 12 is constantly driven (Fig. 2) in any suitable manner as by a sprocket chain 150, engaging a sprocket 151, fixed to one end of shaft 12, and a sprocket 152 fixed to shaft 153 of any suitable gear reduction unit 154 driven by a belt 155 from a motor 156.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for collapsing celled cartons of the type having side walls connected at their ends by end walls and intermediate their ends by transverse partition members, the end walls being connected by a longitudinal partition member making a slotted engagement with the transverse partition members, and a bottom panel hinged to the side walls and foldable outwardly substantially about its longitudinal center, the end walls and transverse partition members being foldable about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member, said machine comprising, means to advance a succession of cartons, means to transfer the leading carton transversely to a first position to be advanced therefrom to a second position by the transfer of a second carton to said first position, a pair of plungers respectively reciprocable into and from adjacent cells of the carton at said first position in opposed relation on opposite sides of the partition between said cells, a pivoted finger carried by one of said plungers and engageable, in the presence of a tongue extending from said partition with said tongue as the plunger moves into said cell to fold the tongue inwardly of the cell and flatly against said partition, an abutment mmeber carried by the opposing plunger and positioned to engage the partition forwardly of the free end of the folded tongue, means carried by the first plunger to pivot said finger to force said tongue and the adjacent portion of the partition over said abutment member and, in the presence of a slit in the partition rearwardly of the free end of the tongue, to force said free end, through said slitand lock the tongue .flatly in partition engaging position, means at said second position for yieldingly supporting the carton at each side of the longitudinal center of the bottom panel, means maintaining the carton against said supporting means, a blade reciprocable in the plane of the longitudinal partition member and engageable in one direction of movement with an end of the carton to advance the longitudinal partition member relative to the side walls to initiate a rearward folding of the end walls and transverse partition members about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member, and an outward folding of the bottom panel, spaced pressing rolls movable against the side walls to press the latter toward each other to further collapse the carton and a pair of yieldingly engaging drawing rolls between which the leading end of the partially collapsed carton is engaged by the further movement of said pressing rolls, said drawing rolls being constantly driven to draw the cartons therebetween and complete the collapse of the carton.

2. A machine for collapsing celled cartons of the type having side walls connected at their ends by end walls and intermediate their ends by transverse partition members, the end walls being connected by a longitudinal partition member making a slotted engagement with the transverse partition members, and a bottom panel hinged to the side walls and foldable outwardly substantially about its longitudinal center, the end walls and transverse partition members being foldable about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member, said machine comprising, means for yieldingly supporting the carton at each side of the longitudinal center of the bottom panel, means maintaining the carton against said supporting means, means to advance the longitudinal partition member longitudinally in its plane and relatively to the side walls to initiate a rearward folding of the end walls and transverse partition members about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member and an outward folding of the bottom panel, means to move the side walls toward each other to further collapse the carton and a pair of rolls between which the leading end of the partially collapsed carton is engaged by the further movement of said last-mentioned means, said rolls being constantly driven to draw the carton therebetween and complete the collapse of the carton.

3. A machine for collapsing celled cartons of the type having side walls connected at their ends by end walls and intermediate their ends by transverse partition members, the end walls being connected by a longitudinal partition member making a slotted engagement with the transverse partition members, and a bottom panel hinged to the side walls and foldable outwardly substantially about its longitudinal center, the end walls and transverse partition members being foldable about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member, said machine comprising, means for yieldingly supporting the carton at each side of the longitudinal center of the bottom panel, means maintaining the carton against said supporting means, a blade reciprocable in the plane of the longitudinal partition member and engageable in one direction of movement with an end of the carton to advance the longitudinal partition member relative to the side walls to initiate a rearward folding of the end walls and transverse partition members about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member, and an outward folding of the bottom panel, spaced pressing rolls movable against the side walls to press the latter toward each other to further collapse the carton and a pair of yieldingly engaging drawing rolls between which the leading end of the partially collapsed carton is engaged by the further movement of said pressing rolls, said drawing rolls being constantly driven to draw the carton therebetween and complete the collapse of the carton.

4. A machine for collapsing celled cartons of the type having side walls connected at their ends by end walls and intermediate their ends by transverse partition members, the end walls being connected by a longitudinal partition member making a slotted engagement with the transverse partition members, and a bottom panel hinged to the side walls and foldable outwardly substantially about its longitudinal center, the end walls and transverse partition members being foldable about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member,

said machine comprising, means to advance a succession of cartons, means to transfer the leading carton transversely to a first position to be advanced therefrom to a second position by the transfer of a second carton to said first position, means at said second position for yieldingly supporting the carton at each side of the longitudinal center of the bottom panel, means maintaining the carton against said supporting means, a blade reciprocable in the plane of the longitudinal partition memher and engageable in one direction of movement with an end of the carton to advance the longitudinal partition member relative'to the side walls to initiate a rearward rolomg ot' the end walls and transverse partition members, about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member, and an outward folding of the bottom panel, spaced pressing rolls movable against the side walls to press the latter toward each other to further collapse the carton and a pair of yieldingly engaging drawing rolls between which the leading end of the partially collapsed carton is engaged by the further movement of said pressing rolls, said drawing rolls being constantly driven to draw the carton therebetween and complete the collapse of the carton.

5. A machine for collapsing celled cartons of the type having side walls connected at their ends by end walls and intermediate their ends by transverse partition members, the end walls being connected by a longitudinal partition member making a slotted engagement with the transverse partition members, and a bottom panel hinged to the side walls and foldable outwardly substantially about its longitudinal center, the end walls and transverse partition members being foldable about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member, said machine comprising, a reciprocably mounted blade, a pair of rolls spaced therefrom and making a spring pressed engagement with each other in the plane of the blade, means to advance the carton to a position between said blade and rolls with the longitudinal partition member positioned in the plane of the blade, a pair of plates supporting the carton in said position, said plates respectively engaging the bottom panel of the carton on opposite sides of its centerline and hinged along their opposite edges for yielding downward movement, means preventing upward movement of the carton, means to reciprocate said blade to advance the carton toward and between said rolls and means to press the sides of the carton toward each other as the carton is advanced by said blade to simultaneously fold the bottom panel downwardly between said yielding supporting plates and fold the end walls and transverse partition members rearwardly about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member and to introduce the leading end of the carton between said rolls, and means to constantly drive said rolls to draw the carton therebetween and complete the collapse of the carton.

6. A machine as in claim 5 including a pusher positioned to receive the collapsed carton, means to reciprocate said pusher to advance the collapsed carton, transversely and constantly driven spaced belts between which the collapsed cartons are advanced by the pusher, said belt being provided with recesses engaging the opposite edges of the collapsed cartons to maintain the latter in upright position as they are advanced by the belts.

7. A machine as in claim 1 each said plunger comprising a rod fixed at its upper end to a common head and a sleeve slidably mounted thereon, stop members fixed to the lower ends of the rods and limiting the downward movement of the sleeves relative to the rods, springs yieldingly holding the sleeves against said stop members, the pivoted finger and the abutment member being carried by the lower ends of the respective sleeves, means in the path of downward movement of the plungers to arrest the sleeves and the pivoted finger and abutment carried thereby in predetermined position within the cells of the carton and means carried by the rod upon which the finger carrying sleeve is mounted to swing the finger about its pivot on further downward movement of the rod.

8. A machine for collapsing celled cartons of the type having side walls connected at their ends by end walls and intermediate their ends by transverse partition members, the end walls being connected by a longitudinal partition member making a slotted engagement with the transverse partition members, and a bottom panel hinged 7 to the side walls and foldable outwardly substantially about its longitudinal center, the end walls and transverse partition members being foldable about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member, said machine comprising, means engaging an end of the carton in the plane of the longitudinal partition member, means to advance said means to move the partition member in its plane relative to the side walls to initiate a folding of the end walls and transverse partition members about their lines of engagement with the longitudinal partition member and an outward folding Mme of the bottom panel, presser means substantially simultaneously engaging the side walls of the carton to press the latter toward each other to further collapse the carton and a pair of yieldingly engaging drawing rolls between which an edge of the partially collapsed carton is en gaged upon further movement of the side walls toward each other by said presser means, said drawing rolls being constantly driven to draw the carton therebetween and complete the collapse of the carton.

No references cited. 

